A sand ceremony can really add a nice touch to your wedding. The idea is to blend different sands together, creating a beautiful pattern and giving you a keepsake that will last forever.
It can be a great way to get the kids involved, as they can pour sand as well. This is particularly effective in the case of blending a family together. Each person pours a different colour sand, (or sands from places of origin. i.e. black sand from the west coast, white sand from the east coast). It works best if the sands contrast well.

Here is an example of the wording attached which really explains what this ceremony signifies…
“John and Jane, today you are made a lasting commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other, and with Sam and Samantha creating a new family together. The Unity Sand Ceremony we will now perform represents the unification of two distinct families, and the four of you as individuals into a new, single, whole.
First, John and Jane, you will each separately pour a layer of sand into the vase, representing who you are as an individual.
Now, you will pour simultaneously, blending your two colours as you will blend your lives in marriage.
As the individual grains of sand can no longer be separated, may your bond also be inseparable.
But you are also making a bond with your children Sam and Samantha. As they also contribute their unique personalities and strengths to this new family, they will also individually add a layer of sand to this unity vase.
Now everyone will pour together, representing your commitment to each other as a united family going on from here.”

I get asked A LOT, if I changed my surname to suit to my profession as a celebrant. I promise you the answer is NO!
But of course, it wasn’t always my last name. When I met Rob, the man that was to become my husband and discovered his last name, I was not impressed and can very distinctly remember thinking, “Wow, I wouldn’t want to marry him!” Famous last words indeed!
By the time we married, I was used to it and resigned to taking Rob’s last name. Over the years, I have come to appreciate that “love” really is the most beautiful word in the English language, and I now wear that name with pride. The fact that we can celebrate that very word at weddings is just awesome!

One of my favourite sayings…
“We are all a little weird, and life’s a little weird
And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours
We join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness
And call it LOVE”

In New Zealand, the things you need to do to legally marry are pretty simple…
1. You need a Marriage licence. You do this through Births, Deaths and Marriages. http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Births-Deaths-and-Marriages-How-to-Get-a-Marriage-Licence?OpenDocument
And it costs $122.60
2. You need to be married by a Registered Marriage Celebrant – thats me folks!
3. During the ceremony, at some point you need to say “I AB take you CD” to be my husband/wife – or words to that effect.
4. You need two witnesses (and they can be anyone!)
5. The two of you, your two witnesses and I must all sign the marriage licence
And that’s it!
The rest of the wedding is completely about you. But don’t panic! That’s the bit I can help with, and together we can create a personal, vibrant and meaningful ceremony that you will remember forever.

When it comes to your vows, there are lots of lovely words already out there, but nothing beats words that come straight from your own heart. Writing your own vows may sound  daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. They can be as long or as short, humorous or serious, whatever you want and however you feel.

Some of the questions that can help you get started are…

What do you love about your partner and why? In what ways have they enhanced your life?

When did you know that this was the person you knew you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?

What does marriage mean to you?

What are you dreams and aspirations as a couple?

What is your favourite memory of your partner?

What do you promise to your partner? (Loyalty, support, respect etc, or even to be the one to walk the dog and put the rubbish out!)

It’s really lovely if you can keep your vows a secret, so your partner hears your vows for the first time on your wedding day!

There is no right or wrong way of writing your vows, all you really have to do is keep it real!

I love poetry! But not everyone does, and that’s OK.
Poetry in a ceremony doesn’t have to be high-brow, over-romantic or hard to understand. There are such wonderful poems and readings that can add warmth and humour to your wedding. It’s also a lovely way to involve someone special in your ceremony by asking them to read for you.

Here is one of my favourites…

“All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,”
by Robert Fulgham

All of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom is not always found at the high end of a university education, but there in the sandpit at kindy.

These are the things I learned…

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Give them to someone who feels sad.
Live a balanced life.
Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day.
Take a nap every afternoon.
Be aware of wonder.

Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.